


tea at six in the afternoon

by lamuexte



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Death, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hinata is vice, Loosely based on an OTP idea list, M/M, Mentions of Death, Mutual Pining, Pining, Some Swearing, They age up throughout the fic too, Yamaguchi is captain in their third year!, mentions of slight depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-10 07:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10432455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamuexte/pseuds/lamuexte
Summary: “What was that for?,” Hinata finally breathed, voice nearly drowned out from the rain.“I think I like you.”“You think you do?”Kageyama sighed, looking into Hinata’s eyes. “No. It’s more like… love or something.” It was sappy and gross honestly, the confession, and Kageyama had never felt more out of place than that moment. But the smile that spread on Hinata’s face, from his lips to his eyes - it was worth it.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AvaloneGrey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaloneGrey/gifts).



> Hey there! Uwah it's been so long since I've written a fic ∑(゜Д゜;)!! This was something that I decided to do after seeing an OTP idea thing, but the fic is only loosely based around it. 
> 
> It's a Kagehina fic cauuuuuuse why not!? I like to imagine Kageyama as secretly being a super romantic, sweet guy underneath his little shield, and Hinata definitely draws it out of him over time. I also like to believe that he laughs a lot more when he's an adult, and is more open about his feelings too! 
> 
> It's a little gift for a friend of mine, since she's gifted a bunch of her fics to me, and honestly I had such a good time writing this. It's been so long since I've written anything as serious as this, so I hope you all like it!
> 
> I was listening to Crywolf a lot while writing this, and his song [Fuse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usBjtH2hamw) really hit me hard while I wrote this. You don't need to listen to it but, it really holds the emotions I wanted to pour into this fic (^ｰ^).
> 
> Well... enjoy!

“Hey, Kageyama-kun.”

“Mm?”

Kageyama glanced up from where he sat, volleyball bag in his lap as he flipped through his most recent notes from the meeting Yamaguchi gave before practice was dismissed. Hinata stood silently in front of him, gaze locked on his own, making the setter feel a bit uncomfortable. “Let's go to the ramen shop tonight.” 

Kageyama frowned, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “I think everyone else went home though.” Yamaguchi was probably still in the gym with Takeshi though, the captain having offered to help the lanky first-year on controlling his serves. Tsukishima was probably waiting for Yamaguchi, so they could invite the three to dinner - 

“Just you and me.” Hinata’s words rang in his ears, and he closed the booklet before stuffing it in his bag. It was useless reading it now.

“Just us?”

“Just us.”

He stared right back into Hinata’s eyes, noticing how now they looked anywhere _but_ his eyes, his hands doing that thing behind his back when he was nervous. “Sure. Sounds good.” Kageyama shrugged. The vice captain’s mouth fell open, gaping at the setter before a wide smile took its place. 

Hinata’s hands were no longer doing the nervous tick, clenching and unclenching at his sides instead. _He does that when he's really excited_ Kageyama thought, a small, amused smile curling on his face. 

Getting to his feet, he slung his volleyball bag strap over his shoulder. “As long as you're all good, I'm ready to go,” he said. Hinata squealed a small _‘bwahhhh Kageyama-kunnnnn!’_ before dashing off. 

“I'll get my bag and we can go!,” he yelped, and Kageyama shook his head as he leaned back on the wall. 

He'd known Hinata to get overexcited at times, and was honestly used to it by now. In fact, he _welcomed_ it. Like when Ennoshita and Tanaka had appointed Yamaguchi as captain for their third year, then proceeded to congratulate Hinata on getting the spot right next to him. Hinata had nearly pissed himself, he was so excited. 

Kageyama had laughed for the first time in a while that day. 

Everyone then proceeded to look at him as though he’d sprouted another head, Hinata made a comment of how he actually had emotions, and he had quickly ended up with a welt on his arm that Kageyama was _not_ going to apologize for. (He did a week later though, when the bruise still hadn’t faded). 

Being third years, many changes had come to the club - Yamaguchi was known to be one of the slyest and most strategic captains amongst the other teams, even if he didn’t play in a lot of the official games. No one was able to crack his ever changing strategies and plans. Tsukishima was known as the ‘Indomitable Wall’, rivaling Dateko’s in the magazines and newspapers ( _‘It’s just a stupid name. I don’t see why my blocking is such a big deal. Anyone could do the same.’_ ) Kageyama was teased for smiling more often, his laughs not going unnoticed whenever the first years did something stupid. The first time he treated the team out to meat buns, Tsukishima mused that he was turning into the next ‘Team Dad’. 

Hinata was surprisingly… well… the same. His hair was a bit shorter, and he wore knee supporters whenever they played in anything other than a practice game - he was now the ace too, which put him in an even happier mood than when he was younger - but otherwise he was just Hinata. 

And that was where Kageyama’s dilemma lied. Hinata Shoyou was ridiculously, frustratingly, happily the same. It made him want to scream into his pillow at night.

As he drew circles in the dirt with the toe of his shoe, Kageyama sighed. Ever since Daichi and Suga had left, he couldn’t get those stupid words out of his head. _‘You two really do make each other invincible, huh?’_

Well what was _that_ supposed to mean? The setter had thought about it for two long years, and now that their last Interhighs were right around the corner, he’d finally figured out what those words meant to him. Hence the dilemma.

Kageyama could never admit he was hopelessly in love with Hinata Shoyou.

It was weird. Crushing on a boy. Wanting to confess to a boy. He’d asked his parents one night at dinner, causing his father to choke on a piece of okonomiyaki and his mother to refuse to look at him for the rest of the night. And he couldn’t ask his teammates - Tsukishima would just laugh in his face, and he didn’t know how to hold a conversation with Yamaguchi or Yachi without Hinata over their shoulders. 

And it wasn’t like Hinata liked him back. Kageyama would probably have a stroke if he did, and then his chance at a love life would go quickly down the drain. Hinata also probably thought Kageyama liked girls with the amount of confessions he got at the end of their games (‘Kageyama-kun’ was the new ‘Oikawa-kun’ ever since he had learned to smile. Why him of all people?).

“Oi! Bakageyama!” The setter froze, foot stopping to rest over the half circle he had started on as Hinata bounded up. He was all up in his face, and Kageyama could smell the fruity hint of gum the vice captain now chewed on. 

Kageyama leaned in slightly, now feeling the warmth of Hinata’s breath on his nose. He could kiss him right now if he wanted to. His eyes skimmed over Hinata’s face. 

He wanted a taste of that gum too - _wait what?_ Kageyama jerked back, eyes wide and ears burning. 

Hinata was still smiling, as though nothing had happened. Although his cheeks were a little red… He had run back from the club room though, so it made sense. Kageyama brushed it off, and shoved his way past the ace with an embarrassed scowl. “I heard you the first time dumbass. C’mon, let’s go.” They walked down the street in silence, aside from Hinata humming a tune from the show Natsu watched every Saturday morning.

The ramen shop was nearly empty, save for a mother and child in the corner, noodles spilling all over the table as the child banged his hands on the table. A group of adults sat on the barstools, asking for another round of beer to go with the super spicy ramen one of their friends decided to eat. 

“They’re idiots,” Kageyama grumbled, fish cake held between his chopsticks as he watched them, hand held in a way that it was threatening to poke out Hinata’s eye. Hinata was hunched over his ramen, slurping it up noisily as he listened. 

“Youf faid tat fife thimth!,” he exclaimed, causing the setter to jerk and shove his fish cake into Hinata’s forehead, before letting his chopsticks clatter to the table. “Dumbass! Don’t yell in my ear like that, shit.” He frowned as he looked at the crumbled fish cake on the table, at how Hinata rubbed the small red mark on his forehead with a whine. _I could have hurt him. That dumbass._

The setter hadn’t even realized what he was doing, but he placed his hand on Hinata’s forehead, thumb smoothing over the red mark gently. It was no surprise - compared to his cold hands, Hinata’s forehead was pleasantly warm. 

The urge to kiss Hinata struck Kageyama again like a jolt to the heart. 

“Um… Kageyama?”

Kageyama flinched, jerking his hand back as though he had touched fire, feeling his ears burn bright red all over again. “I - it looked like it hurt.” Hinata stared at him with bright eyes, and Kageyama could only stare back. _You feel it too, right?_ he wanted to ask. _The electricity._

His heart was racing. Was Hinata’s? 

_I love you._

Kageyama opened his mouth to say something to break the odd tension he had put between them, but let out what sounded more of a squawk as Hinata jabbed one of his own chopsticks into his cheek. “God - _fuck_ Hinata!” His hand flew up to his cheek, clutching it in pain. “That fucking hurt you idiot!”

“Payback,” Hinata huffed, looking proud of himself as he turned to his ramen, sticking his face back in it and humming happily. _That little -_ Kageyama just gave up, finally starting to eat his ramen with a scowl on his face. “Y’know, you look kind of like an angry hamster when you eat ~ ” Kageyama groaned and shot a glare at the vice captain, his anger fake - he probably really did look like one anyway.

Eventually, they started to talk about practice from earlier, Hinata proudly praising a few of the first years (and not forgetting to mention how Takeshi started calling him Hinata-senpai on a daily basis). 

Hinata looked excited, as he always did, and Kageyama found himself absentmindedly drinking the last of the broth from his bowl with a smile curled on his face. “You look nice with a smile on your face Kageyama-kun,” Hinata piped up out of nowhere, having been in the middle of praising their second-year libero on his latest improvements. Kageyama spluttered, spitting the broth out and barely making it back into the bowl. 

He wiped the broth off his chin with the back of his hand, since Hinata had used all the napkins at their table, but couldn’t find himself to glare at the giggling middle blocker. 

_Say something nice._

“It’s fun talking about volleyball - ” 

_That wasn’t nice!_

“ - with you. It’s nice talking about practice with you, you know?”

_That’s better._

He felt a strange swell of pride as a blush spread over Hinata’s cheeks - it was definitely a blush. He knew it. Hinata opened and closed his mouth several times, as though he wanted to speak, but no words came out. 

“It’s getting late,” he finally managed to grumble. “I still need to bike home, remember?” Right. Kageyama nodded, fishing his wallet out from his back pocket and setting a few yen coins down on the table before Hinata could protest. He slipped his bag back over his shoulder, getting to his feet and shoving his hands in his pockets. “Uwah! Lookin’ cool Kageyama-kun!” Kageyama punched his shoulder softly, and they shared a small laugh (Kageyama’s more hidden, but still there). 

The air was cold outside, a soft drizzle falling. Kageyama frowned, hand out to feel the droplets, reminded that he didn’t have an umbrella or jacket with a hood for the walk home. Hinata nudged him with his shoulder, and he glanced down to look at him. “Um… It’s supposed to get worse,” Hinata said, hands clutching onto his bike handles. “You can always ride on the back of my bike. I can take you home.” 

The vice captain’s knuckles were cracked, angry red lines stretched over them as he held onto the handlebars. Rain pattered off the sidewalk, getting heavier, his shorts clinging to his legs - bruises patterned his shins from that time he didn’t receive right. He had a tan line from wearing his knee supporters out in the sun during their last training camp. 

Kageyama wanted to kiss him.

Without a second thought, he leaned forward and smashed his lips against Hinata’s. They were surprisingly not as soft as he thought they would be, slightly chapped from all his protests on not using lip balm. They still tasted like the broth he drank, and they were warm. 

The best part was that Hinata wasn’t pulling away.

He stood there for a few seconds, as though deciding what to do, before pressing back gently, and Kageyama could have sworn his heart stuttered out of time. They were kissing in the rain in front of a dimly lit ramen shop - how cliché.

He lost track of how long they stood there, his hand slipping through Hinata’s hair, the softness matted from the rain. Neither stopped to breathe and neither really cared, until Hinata broke away with a gasp, eyes wide and face flushed. Kageyama still leaned over him, and let out a huff before resting his forehead on Hinata’s with a wobbly smile.

“What was that for?,” Hinata finally breathed, voice nearly drowned out from the rain. 

“I think I like you.”

“You think you do?”

Kageyama sighed, looking into Hinata’s eyes. “No. It’s more like… love or something.” It was sappy and gross honestly, the confession, and Kageyama had never felt more out of place than that moment. But the smile that spread on Hinata’s face, from his lips to his eyes - it was worth it. 

“I’m glad I’m not the only one then,” the middle blocker laughed, pulling away from Kageyama entirely and straightening himself on his bike once more. Kageyama felt lighter - giddy even - as Hinata patted the back of his bike with a smile. _He likes me too._

He climbed onto the back of the bike, making it wobble a bit before Hinata took off, strong legs pushing them down the hill with a holler of excitement. The rain came down in sheets, and Kageyama could barely see through his bangs getting in his eyes, but he let his smile run free as he clung to the slippery metal of the bike and wet back of Hinata’s club jacket. 

-

Pushing an old cotton couch across a wooden floor was a lot harder than it sounded. Hinata was nearly no help pushing the three hundred pound piece of furniture across the room, so Kageyama had simply sent him outside to bring boxes in from the moving truck. 

The keys to apartment 4B on floor three were colored over in permanent marker from the previous owners, bright pink and blue compared to the other keys on his keychain. It was a cheap apartment: a small bathroom with a baby blue vanity, a kitchen that had cream colored cabinets with little designs in the corners, an empty bedroom with a beautifully large window that led out to a small smoking balcony, and a living room that screamed ‘late night drinking games with the old teammates over’. 

It honestly felt more like home than, well, home. 

Kageyama’s white, worn down Land Cruiser sat comfortably on the street, Hinata’s new bike leaning against the wall in the hallway next to the door and the umbrella holder. He still planned to bike to university, just like he did in his first year. 

Being second years in college was weird. 

Going to the same university was honestly both logical and inevitable. They had still lived at their parents’ houses for the first year - on the days it rained, Kageyama gladly drove Hinata to school with him. 

On top of that, things had definitely… _changed._

It wasn’t weird to see Kageyama smile or hear him laugh anymore; dating the ex vice captain was rubbing off on him with every passing day. Hinata was still his same, excitable self, but now a stud popped out from a piercing on his right helix (an underage drinking escapade with Yamaguchi and Yachi had resulted in both Hinata and the ex captain getting piercings - Tsukishima was horrified when Yamaguchi couldn’t remember the next day). 

They played volleyball on the team at university, although it was slowly bleeding into a pastime of theirs; it had surprised the entire old team when Kageyama had said something about focusing more on his studies in college. And now that they both had jobs (Kageyama working at a retail store in the shopping district and Hinata at a cafe a few blocks away), they were finally able to get an apartment. 

A home of their own. 

It was _their_ home. 

The thought alone made Kageyama want to burst out into smiles every day of the week. 

There were no curtains up yet - hell, all they really had was the couch and a boxed up table in the center of the room. The bed wasn’t going to arrive for another day, and as the sun began to set lazily behind the hills, Kageyama realized they weren’t going to be able to bring everything in from the moving truck in time. 

“Oi, Hinata!,” he called, hearing his boyfriend yelp after nearly tripping on the step up into the apartment, bare feet padding on the wooden floor before he set a box down next to Kageyama’s own feet. “Let’s take a break. It’s almost six and all we’ve been doing is moving shit in.”

Hinata let out a happy sigh of relief, collapsing on the floor and wiping the sweat from his brow. “Thank _god_ \- it’s too hot and stuffy to keep moving everything in here.” That was true. It was a problem that could be fixed on another day, and Kageyama rolled his eyes before moving over to open the window on the other end of the living room. 

“Want some tea?,” he asked, opening one of the boxes labeled _‘Kitchen’_ and pulling out a pot and two chipped mugs. “I think I still have that box Suga-san gave us.” Hinata nodded, piping a quick ‘yes please!’, now laying down on the floor and fanning himself. 

The box was thankfully in the kitchen already with a few other parting gifts the old team had given them (they had shoved them all in Kageyama’s arms before they got the chance to get in the car). 

Kageyama switched the oven on and placed the pot of water over it, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he glanced at the time on his phone. “Do we wanna just order takeout?,” he asked, leaning on the island in the center of the kitchen and yawning. 

“Sounds great,” Hinata groaned, sitting up, his hair plastered to one side of his face. “I’ll look up some nearby places or something. If I remember right, my coworker was talking about a pizza place yesterday.” He tapped away on his phone, leaning against the couch with his legs splayed out on the floor in front of him

It took a little while for the water to boil, and by the time Kageyama moved to the living room with the two steaming mugs in his hands, Hinata had crawled onto the couch and curled up in the corner. His phone laid on his stomach, and his eyelids hung low as he struggled to stay awake. 

“Here,” Kageyama murmured, nudging the mug into his hands, and Hinata smiled slightly as he took it and mouthed at the rim. “Thank youuu ~,” he giggled, watching with lazy eyes as the setter moved to sit by his feet. 

Kageyama didn’t say anything in response, choosing to sip his tea quietly as he gazed out of the corner of his vision at the fading sunset. 

“ _Ah_ \- hot hot!,” Hinata suddenly yelped, and he glanced back to see the redhead sticking his tongue out, face screwed up in pain. He groaned and pinched Hinata’s thigh playfully. “It’s still hot dumbass. Duh.”

Hinata pinched his tongue for a moment, letting it go when he realized it wasn’t helping the pain go away. “No shit Kageyama.” Kageyama growled low in his throat, causing the smaller to quickly apologize through a bout of giggles. A pleasant silence fell over them once more, and Kageyama realized neither of them had ordered the takeout while the tea was boiling. Two squealing children ran down the hallway outside their door, and he took another long sip of tea as the sun disappeared behind the hills. 

“I like it here.” Hinata’s voice was small, which was strange to hear, his mug resting on his knee as he waited for both the tea to cool down and the pain in his tongue to go away. 

“Mmm… me too.” 

Tea at six in the afternoon was nice. Kageyama felt himself grow sleepy as he got to the last dregs of his tea, and he set the mug down on the floor before laying back against the couch arm and closing his eyes. “Did you lock up the moving truck?,” he mumbled, tongue heavy, and felt Hinata shift before he jumped off the couch.

“I didn’t! I’ll go do it now, sorry!” The footsteps left, dusty air moving in from him swinging the front door open and leaving it ajar. 

He didn’t know when he had fallen asleep, but Kageyama’s eyes cracked open when he felt a weight on his chest, legs tangled with his own. “I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he heard Hinata whisper, breath warm on his neck. “You looked really peaceful, y’know that?” 

Kageyama wanted to ask what time it was, but his throat was dry and the room was dark. As if knowing what he was thinking, Hinata let out a sigh and nuzzled his face into his neck. “I locked everything up and put the mugs in the sink. Proves I can do chores just as well as you, stupid - ” Kageyama wasn’t going to speak up about how that didn’t really count as doing chores, and chose to close his eyes and wrap the arm that wasn’t pinned against the couch back around his boyfriend. 

He knew that they’d both wake up with cricks in their necks the next morning, drool sticking Kageyama’s shirt to Hinata’s face, but he knew they wouldn’t care.

He didn’t fall back asleep until Hinata’s breathing grew deep and calm.

-

“You look even shorter now than you are in real life,” Kageyama joked, sitting cross-legged in bed, leaning back against the frame with the pillows around him in a haphazard mess. A bag of chips lay next to him, laptop in his lap. Hinata was sitting at a desk on the other end of the video, the only light being the glow from his laptop as his phone was propped up so Kageyama could see him better.

“Do you want me to punch you when I get back?,” Hinata growled, not looking into the camera as he typed away on his laptop. The soft tapping of the keys was the only sound other than the slight static of the video; Kageyama found it both comforting and awkward. They didn’t exactly have much to talk about, but it was a tradition for them to call every night to see how their day went. 

Fourth years in college. Hinata tore a ligament and had to officially quit the university team halfway through their third year. He had been in such a depressed state of mind that Kageyama didn’t know what to do around him anymore. Kisses became a thing of the past. Sex was rare. Having a conversation was strained and forced. 

Until Suga called and said there was a teaching program in the calmer part of New York, since Hinata was trying to become a teacher for the grade school kids he adored so much.

Kageyama was the one who insisted he go.

So, in the span of a few weeks, he had packed his bags and left. 

An entire year had passed, and Kageyama was relieved to see their relationship improving little by little. Hinata was brighter, his English was better, and he even had a few new friends that he went out to town with on Saturday nights for a drink at the nearby bar. Sure, Hinata was busier than Kageyama was, now dead set on becoming a teacher. Kageyama didn’t mind, as long as he was happier. 

Their relationship was happier too.

Hinata let out what sounded like a garbled wail before leaning back in his chair, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “It’s like, two in the morning here. Why am I still up?” Kageyama chuckled, grabbing a handful of chips and munching on them idly. 

“I can’t answer that. You’re the one who wanted to become a teacher.” Hinata drew his hands away from his face and shot a glare at his camera, and Kageyama paused, fingertips brushing the chip bag. 

“You look like shit Hinata.”

He actually, really did. Hinata blinked owlishly at Kageyama through the screen before laughing a little, quietly. Makeup was brushed over his cheeks and beneath his eyes - Kageyama could tell in the light glow of the laptop. He looked tired.

“I haven’t been sleeping much lately,” Hinata shrugged, yawning to prove his point. “I’m almost done with this project though. Then I can sleep easy.” Kageyama grimaced and sighed, but grabbed a few more chips and moved a bit against the bedframe. 

“You better.”

“Awww. Looks like you really are a teddy bear underneath those frowns Tobio ~ ”

“Oi - ”

He broke out into a laugh, and Hinata smiled warmly. The dimple on his right cheek was visible, and Kageyama felt a small flutter in his heart at the sight of it. He felt as though he were a teenager again, crushing on Hinata like a pining schoolboy. It was the nicest he had felt in a long time.

Hinata stretched before closing his laptop, the light disappearing from his face. His screen was launched into darkness, and Kageyama simply listened to the creak of his desk chair as he rose, his footsteps as he made his way over to his bed and flicked the bedside light on. It was dimmer, so Kageyama could barely see his boyfriend’s face as he climbed into bed, but it was still there. He was still there. 

“Don’t you have work in half an hour? It’s three there right?” Kageyama frowned, glancing at the clock in the corner of his laptop. The drone of the heater inside the apartment cut off as he sighed. He didn’t have work today. “Yeah. I do. We have a new line of shirts coming in today, and I’m gonna have to unfold every single one and hang them up,” he lied.

He wanted Hinata to sleep. He deserved it.

“Sounds fun!,” Hinata giggled, voice already sounding distant and slurred. “Go to sleep dumbass,” Kageyama snapped in return, rolling up the chip bag and clipping it in place. He felt stiff from sitting there for so long, and cracked his neck. Hinata whimpered _‘grooossss’_ before giggling again, rolling over in bed with his phone in hand and going limp.

Kageyama simply watched him for a moment, how peaceful he looked with his eyes closed. He missed Hinata. He wanted him to fall asleep _here,_ next to _him._ Not alone in a drabby apartment in New York. “Don’t forget to turn your light off and hang up,” he murmured, voice soft, and Hinata stirred as though he had forgotten. 

“Yeah yeah… g’night Kageyama,” he whispered back, turning the light off with a click. There was the soft sound of breathing for a moment, before Kageyama smiled to himself. “I love you dumbass,” he said, and hung up before Hinata could say anything back. At least he finally went to sleep.

The snow fell softly outside. 

Kageyama had nearly forgotten he was turning twenty-two in two days. And Hinata wouldn’t be there to spend it with him. Christmas too.

He rolled over and stared at the bag of chips before closing his eyes, letting his breathing even out as he fell asleep. 

The next day was unsurprisingly uneventful. Kageyama hadn’t been lying when he said a new order of shirts were coming in (albeit a day later than he meant), and he hung them up carefully, making sure they weren’t wrinkled or torn. The snow had stopped overnight, a thin layer covering the ground and trees. He hadn’t gotten a daily message from Hinata that morning, but sent out one of his own over a cup of tea with his lunch.

His boss called him into his office before he left work, and his closest co-workers were there with flimsy party hats from the party store a few streets down, his favorite cake wrapped up in a pink box. “Happy Early Birthday Kageyama,” his manager beamed, a stout woman named Yuki with glasses too big for her face and long brown hair. “We know it’s tomorrow but… take a break for Christmas. You work harder than the rest of us.”

Kageyama simply stared at the cake in his hands as his boss placed a party hat on his head with a smile, and thanked them in awe. He’d save the cake to eat the next day, over his video call with Hinata. Make him jealous. No - that was probably a bit too mean. 

Eh. He’d still do it anyway.

The apartment felt cold when he got home, and he flicked the heater on with a heavy sigh as he left the day behind at the door. It was around six, the clock ticking drowsily, and he pulled out his phone to type in an all too familiar number as he called the takeout place a few blocks away. “Can I get some shoyu ramen?,” he mumbled into the receiver, other hand busying itself with opening the cabinet and getting out a mug and their worn down teapot. “Maybe a side of pork curry too? Yeah. Thanks.”

He hung up and set the pot under the sink, letting it fill with water as he scrolled through his messages. _Nothing from Hinata, huh. It says he read them._ Kageyama flicked on the heat of the stove and set the pot over it, leaning back against the island counter with a frown.

_[ To: Shoyou - 5:53 PM ] dumbass I see you read my messages. we calling tonight?_

Kageyama slipped the phone back in his pocket, busying himself with putting the cake in the refrigerator. 

He ate dinner in silence, save for the television being on - he watched another one of the shitty parody movies Hinata liked, finishing the ramen and sitting on the couch with his tea cooling on the table. His phone hadn’t buzzed in the past thirty minutes, which was strange. The message had been read again.

_[ To: Shoyou - 6:24 PM ] why arent you responding to me? I know you see these_

_[ To: Shoyou - 6:25 PM ] did i do something wrong?_

_[ From: Shoyou - 6:28 PM ] kageyaa im trying to do stuff stoppppp_

_[ To: Shoyou - 6:28 PM ] oh so he is alive. shocker_

_[ From: Shoyou - 6:29 PM ] im sorry im rlly busy rn so ill have to get back to u_

_[ To: Shoyou - 6:29 PM ] so no call?_

_[ From: Shoyou - 6: 29 PM ] nop_

Kageyama sighed and sunk into the couch cushions, tea left forgotten on the table. He hadn’t realized how tired his body was, eyes heavy as a cheesy joke was told over the television. There wasn’t really anything to stay awake for now. 

He let the exhaustion of the week settle into his bones, and fell asleep with his head lolled back against the top of the couch. The sound from the television faded to static in his ears, and he fell into a restless sleep, eyes cracking open every once in awhile only to slide closed again.

Then there was breath on his face. 

Fruity, warm breath on his face.

It smelled like the shitty fruit gum Hinata still liked from when they were in high school. 

Kageyama jerked awake, eyes flying open as he shot forward, his head colliding with someone else’s. They let out a yelp of pain, and Kageyama grit his teeth as he gripped his forehead with one hand and held up a fist with the other, face screwed up at the throbbing in his head.

“What the _fuck_ Kageyama!?” 

Wait. He knew that voice. As he blinked his eyes open, he noticed the room wasn’t completely dark, since light filtered in from the hallway in front of the door. The television was still on, stuck on the menu, and the clock on the wall ticked away at one in the morning. A suitcase and camping backpack were propped up against the wall beneath the clock. Hinata stood in front of him in faded jeans and the black sweatjacket he stole from Kageyama before he left for New York, clutching onto his own forehead with hands that were covered by the long sleeves. 

Kageyama sat there in stunned silence, mouth open as though he wanted to speak, the pain suddenly gone as his hand slipped from his face. “Shoyou…?” At the sound of his first name, Hinata froze for splitting moment before dropping his hands and flinging himself forward, arms outstretched to wrap clumsily around his boyfriend’s neck. Kageyama could barely catch him, and stared with wide eyes as Hinata pressed a hard kiss onto his lips. 

_It’s Hinata. It’s Shoyou._

He sighed, relaxing into the kiss as he tilted his head and pressed back, fisting the fabric of the sweatjacket in his hands. He felt something wet on his cheeks. Hinata drew back before Kageyama could deepen it, peppering his lips and cheeks with kisses. “I missed you,” he placed another kiss to Kageyama’s jaw. Hinata was crying. “I missed you so much - ”

“I missed you too,” Kageyama croaked, hands gripping onto the sweatjacket even tighter, pressing Hinata’s body against him with no intention of letting him go.

Hinata stuttered, stumbling over whatever he was going to say and cutting off into a sob. “I didn’t - I didn’t even realize how much I missed y-you until I got home,” he stammered, burying his face in Kageyama’s neck, getting snot and tears on his skin. “I wanted to surprise you for your birthday but once I saw you I just…”

He understood. 

“I understand.” Tears prickled in the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over, but he wasn’t going to cry. 

They sat there for such a long time that Kageyama lost track. Hinata’s sobs died down to a small sniffle now and then, his eyes closed as he breathed against Kageyama’s skin, arms still tight around his neck. 

“Happy Birthday by the way,” he mumbled, and Kageyama jumped slightly, startled that Hinata hadn’t fallen asleep yet. He rubbed the redhead’s back with a small smile, turning to press a gentle kiss to the top of his head. 

“Thank you.” A pause. “I got a salted caramel cake at work. Guess now that you’re here, we should have some huh?” Hinata nodded, whimpering a little. He didn’t move from his place. “That means you need to get off Hinata,” he grumbled, a hand sliding down to pinch Hinata’s hip. “Off.” His boyfriend let out a noise of reluctance before letting go of his neck, sliding out of his lap and onto the couch with a huff. Kageyama had to pause to look at him before smiling. 

“You look really tired.”

“I slept on the plane ride here.”

“Well maybe you just cried all that energy out of you then.”

Hinata glared at him as he got to his feet and wiped the snot from his neck. “You suck Kageyama,” he sniffed, wiping his eyes with his sleeves as Kageyama walked off to the kitchen to grab the cake out of the fridge. It was one in the morning on December twenty-second, and Kageyama couldn’t believe any of this was really happening.

He took two slices out of the cake and plated them, grabbing a fork for Hinata and a spoon for himself (they always liked eating their cake differently) before making his way back to the couch. “So this is why you didn’t talk to me all day right?,” he gave Hinata his plate and sat beside him, letting the redhead lean against his side. 

“Mhm,” Hinata hummed, breaking off a large chunk with his fork and sticking it in his mouth. He let out a happy hum, chewing on it with his eyes closed in bliss. “I’m sorry for waking you up so early in the morning. I didn’t actually think you’d wake up.” He pouted as Kageyama took a bite of his own cake, tapping his spoon on his lips. “I had the most romantic plan ~ I was gonna make you breakfast in _bedddd,_ and then maybe seduce you a little - ”

Kageyama nudged him roughly with his elbow, causing Hinata to break off into tired laughter. “How long are you here for?,” he asked, causing Hinata to pause and think. 

“A little over a week. I wanted to come on your birthday and then spend Christmas week with you.” Hinata beamed up at him. “I got presents and everything!”

They continued to eat their cake, Kageyama listening to Hinata’s airport adventures ( _‘They thought I was a high schooler! Asked me for my I.D to make sure I wasn’t supposed to be with an adult or anything. I held up the whole line… Stop laughing Kageyama, it was embarrassing!’_ ) He learned that his boyfriend had met a lovely father with his daughter on the airplane, since they had sat with him in the economy class. Rambling on and on about all the games he played with the girl (her name was Aiko, and she apparently loved to play cards and go swimming), Kageyama found himself more relaxed and at ease than he had been in the entirety of the past year. 

Hinata also sounded like a natural with kids, but that was a thought for another time. 

“Oi, idiot. Stop talking for a second,” he interrupted, taking Hinata’s plate and setting it down next to his own half-eaten slice. “C’mere.” Kageyama gently grabbed the collar of the sweatjacket, pulling Hinata forward to kiss him, feathersoft. 

Hinata squeaked, obviously surprised by the gentle gesture - it would be no surprise, since Kageyama rarely ever showed the hopeless romantic side of himself. But he gladly took the kiss, just barely pressing back, letting Kageyama’s freezing hand slide over the back of his neck and hold him steady. 

“I love you,” Kageyama whispered, causing Hinata to flush a bright red and wring his hands, another soft kiss being pressed to his lips. Kageyama’s lips dragged over to his cheek, resting there for a moment before he moved to press a kiss on the piercing in Hinata’s ear. “I said it on the phone the other day, but you sounded nearly asleep.”

“You haven’t said that you loved me in a long time Tobio.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. For being distant.”

It was weird to be close like this, after a year of not being anywhere near each other - a year and a half of being strained and awkward. Hinata didn’t know where to put his hands, and Kageyama didn’t know what to do except lazily kiss up and down the side of his pale neck. “Your lips are sticky,” Hinata complained eventually, and Kageyama realized he was right, the caramel still sticking to them as he pressed a kiss underneath his jaw. It wasn’t like he was going to stop. 

-

They grew to be twenty eight together, and Kageyama loved his life with Hinata.

Hinata became the teacher he wanted to be, teaching a class of seven and eight year-olds at a nearby elementary school, coming home with stories about his day that made Kageyama smile over dinner. 

Marriage was still a twinkle in their eyes, but whenever he passed by the jewelry shop with Tsukishima on their days off, he found that the colorful gems caught his eyes. 

Kageyama suggested that they repaint something, and they repainted the baby blue vanity a gorgeous red.

When Hinata turned twenty nine, Kageyama hated the color red.

-

Kageyama decided right then and there that eggshell blue was a color that Hinata wouldn’t have been able to pull off.

It suited him much better though.

The color complimented his skin, and went with his eyes. When he was young, his mother had said he would look beautiful next to a wife one day, with an eggshell blue tie. 

But here he sat, in an eggshell blue tie, a handkerchief folded neatly in the breast pocket of his black suit. His hands were folded in his lap, his thumb rubbing along the scar on the back of his other hand. He wanted to tap his foot, but the room was eerily silent, and he knew it would just echo back to him. 

Even though it was fully healed, his knuckles ached. 

Maybe he shouldn’t have punched that wall so hard back then.

“Has the jury come to a verdict?” Kageyama blinked away his blank stare at the judge’s podium, eyes flickering over to the jury. A man with wiry glasses and a ponytail stood up on the edge, his hands holding steadily onto a pale brown envelope. “We have your Honor.”

The whole court held their breath. Kageyama began to tap his foot, his hands fidgeting in his lap as he stared at the judge. _Please. Please please please -_ The judge nodded to the court, telling them to rise, and he stood on weak legs, muscles tense in his shoulders. 

“We find the defendant, Kazehaya Yori, guilty, for drunken vehicular manslaughter of the first degree.” The judge nodded as a unanimous reaction ran through the courtroom - a heavy sigh from one side of the room, gasps of anger and shock and disbelief on the other. Kazehaya, a man who had barely turned twenty, green eyes empty, listened in stunned silence. 

“Kazehaya Yori. On the account of drunken vehicular manslaughter of the first degree, I sentence you to a minimum of ten years in prison. This court is adjourned.”

Voices bubbled up from around the room; angry relatives who shouted that he didn’t deserve to be thrown away like that, cries from the girlfriend, the mother - the light breathing and laughter as Natsu threw her arms around her mother in relief behind him.

Kageyama had stopped shaking, still staring at the judge, hands limp by his sides. 

A tear streaked down his cheek. More followed. He heaved out a sob and doubled over, clutching onto the chair in front of him as Natsu and her mother made their way over to him, the warm touch of Natsu’s hand rubbing his back welcoming as he cried. He couldn’t find it in himself to stop.

“It’s alright Kageyama-kun,” she murmured, and he let out a choked noise before trying to wipe the tears away from his face with the sleeve of his shirt, ashamed of crying in front of them. Hinata’s mother had tired eyes, he noticed through his blurred vision. She looked happy though.

“Nii-chan got what he deserved, okay? He’s okay now.”

Kageyama stumbled over the word _‘okay’_ as the tears got worse, streaming down his face. He couldn’t stop. He wailed, hunching over more and feeling Natsu’s arms wrap around him in comfort. 

He was so happy. 

Shoyou was okay. 

-

When he had called Suga over the phone to let him know what the verdict was, Kageyama didn’t expect him to cry as soon as the words left his mouth. It took some calming down by Daichi on Suga’s end of the line, but the older of the two quickly reduced his cries of joy to sniffles as he expressed his gratitude for Kageyama doing something about Hinata’s sudden death. Daichi mumbled his own thanks into the phone, and Kageyama simply smiled.

After another thirty minutes of talking, checking to make sure everyone was okay and asking how they were doing, Kageyama paused to look over at the television where his movie played on mute. “Hey, Suga-san - we should get together for dinner or something. The team. Last time we saw each other wasn’t really…”

The last time he saw them was at the funeral, just four weeks ago. 

“We can break the news to them at dinner, you know? I think they’d like it.” Suga chuckled softly, like he always did, and Kageyama listened as the clatter of some pots and pans in the background filled the line. _“I love that idea. Daichi’s making a mess of our kitchen right now…”_ Daichi shouted that he could hear his boyfriend loud and clear, causing Kageyama to snicker.

_“We can try and see if everyone is free now. I know it’s sudden, but Asahi and Nishinoya told me they were just going to the movies with Tanaka and Ennoshita earlier today. They should be free. I’m not sure about everyone else though.”_ Kageyama nodded, although Suga couldn’t see him, and snickered.

“If I tell Yamaguchi it’s important, he’ll force Tsukishima to come with him,” he said, thinking. “Yachi’s always free in the evenings. I’ll ask her if Kiyoko and the others are free too.” Suga hummed in agreement, and they chattered a bit more before choosing a place to meet up. 

Yamaguchi was indeed free, and Tsukishima surprisingly agreed to come with him. Suga shot him a text that all the invites on his end were free, and he got a text a few minutes later from Yachi saying she had been alerted by Yamaguchi of an event going on.

The whole team was free. Kageyama was excited and relieved.

They met up at a homey sit down restaurant that reminded him of the place Ukai took them after their games. Suga and Daichi had already made a spot for them, having pushed two tables together and brought over some extra chairs. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima sat on one end, with Yachi across from them, chattering on about something that had happened earlier that day. Suga greeted Kageyama with a hug (more like a tackle in Kageyama’s opinion) before Daichi pulled him into one as well. 

“You look well,” Daichi commented, firm smile on his face. Kageyama relaxed a little, waving at Yamaguchi and Yachi as Tsukishima dipped his head in welcome. 

“Thanks. I’ve been sleeping a bit better lately.” 

“That’s good.”

“Hey King - why did we have to meet up on such short notice?”

“Kei, be nice. You wanted to come.”

Kageyama chuckled a little, taking a seat as Suga and Daichi found seats of their own. “I have good news for everyone,” he said, shucking his coat off and letting it hang off the back of his chair. “I’m gonna wait until everyone’s here though.” Tsukishima nodded in understanding, picking up his menu and adjusting his glasses as Yamaguchi leaned over to look as well. 

Everyone else filtered in over time - Kinoshita and Narita being the first ones, Kinoshita complaining over how cold it was outside and how a bowl of hot soup sounded delicious. Asahi and the rest of his little gang showed up next, Noya yanking Kageyama and Tsukishima into a headlock as soon as he laid eyes on them. Tanaka laughed proudly at how his kouhai looked all grown up before Ennoshita pointed out that they had seen each other just a month ago.

Soon everyone was there, chattering and having fun, beers being ordered all around with a side of chicken yakitori. Kageyama chose a Cola over everyone else’s beer, sipping on it happily. “So, Kageyama,” Kiyoko murmured, glancing over at the Cola loosely held in his hands. “It’s not like you to plan a group gathering.” She sounded amused. The rest of the group chuckled amongst themselves.

“Well,” Kageyama fidgeted, pushing the soda away from him and folding his hands in front of him. “I’m sure not all of you remember, but the court date was today. I went with Natsu and Hinata-san of course.” At that, the group went silent. Some shifted in their chairs as others sipped quietly on their beers, eyes trained on him.

“It went faster than I thought it would. So basically - ” The waitress came over with a grin on her face, setting down the yakitori and grabbing some of the already near-empty glasses (Noya and Tanaka were known to drink their alcohol fast) before leaving. Kageyama cleared his throat and rubbed his thumb over the scar on his hand again. 

“Basically, they had to bring up the evidence and what the case was actually about. It was really tense, y’know? You don’t know what the lawyers are going to say half the time, but you want them to say what _you’re_ thinking.” Yamaguchi nodded rigorously, enthralled in the conversation, Tsukishima cracking a joke about how his head was going to fall off from nodding so fast. 

Suga was smiling and leaning slightly on Daichi’s shoulder, sharing a yakitori. They had already heard the news after all. “And the verdict was…” Kageyama took a small breath and smiled. “All I can say is that Shoyou can rest easy now.”

Silence.

Then Yamaguchi’s hiccuping started up, meaning he was going to start crying, and Tsukishima panicked before dropping his yakitori right on the table. Yachi clapped excitedly as Kiyoko patted Kageyama on the back with a smile. “That’s great,” she said, Tanaka and Noya nodding to her words, eyes misty. 

Aside from the sound of Yamaguchi’s soft whimpers and some tasteless rock song playing quietly in the back of the restaurant, everyone was in a pleasant state of ease. Kageyama suddenly felt sleepy, the weight of the past month since the funeral crashing down on him, and he let out a little sigh before smiling again. “I wanted to tell you all since… we all know how much he means to us.” 

“And you know how much you meant to him too Kageyama.” 

Kageyama blinked, head lifting to look down the table at Tsukishima, his fingers rubbing little circles in Yamaguchi’s shoulder blades. “What?,” he shrugged. “I’m just stating the facts. You were all he ever talked about.” At that, Yamaguchi hiccuped again, causing everyone to laugh as Tsukishima apologized with a wary frown. 

“It’s just weird for you to say things like that Tsukishima,” Asahi huffed from behind his hand, hiding a laugh. Yamaguchi nodded as he blubbered, wiping the tears from his eyes and sniffling loudly. He laughed himself, albeit shakily.

“I miss him,” he laughed, tears shining in his eyes. 

Kageyama nodded, looking down at his soda. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Everyone does.” 

“But hey!” Everyone looked to Noya as he held up his mug, smiling brightly. “We know how Shoyou would celebrate with us! He always was the craziest partier.” Everyone smiled a little at that. “We should have a toast or something. To his happiness.”

“Yuu, that’s so grossly romantic I want to puke.”

“Shut the fuck up Ryuu.” 

Daichi snorted, leaning over the table as his shoulders shook with laughter. The waitress started to come over to take their orders, but shied away, tucking her notepad back in her pocket as she decided to wait. “Sure, a toast sounds great,” Kinoshita piped up, holding up his barely touched beer. “Let’s all toast to something about him, yeah?” A unanimous nod went around as everyone fumbled for their drinks. 

“A toast to Shoyou,” Noya started, looking proud as he half stood on his chair. “For taking as many balls to the face as he did in high school without getting brain damage.” Kageyama smiled behind his hand.

“For bringing a new spirit to the team,” Suga murmured, speaking for both him and their ex captain.

“To somehow managing to rile up every rival we had.”

_“Kei.”_

“... To giving me the will to change.”

“That’s better.”

“I want to toast to him doing everything everyone else was too scared to,” Yachi piped up, holding her drink up high. “He showed me that when you put your mind to things, you can just do it!”

“To him being the first person I ever saw in my life to eat ice cream off the club room floor.”

“Tanaka that’s disgusting.”

Asahi waved Daichi off and let out a hum, holding his own drink up meekly. “For getting me back into the sport I loved.”

“When he was my vice captain, he would always know how to make the team happy again,” Yamaguchi mused. 

“He always tried to get us into practice games when we were second years.”

“Love.”

Everyone froze, eyes flickering over to Kageyama as he got to his feet, Cola held in his hand proudly. “He taught me how to feel things. And how to love. That’s something I could never repay him even if I wanted to.”

Suga nodded, eyes clouding with tears as he too got to his feet. “I don’t think any of us could have put it better,” he rasped, smiling over at Kageyama as he lifted his drink. “Let’s toast.” The team slowly got to their feet, chairs scraping on the wood as they scooted back, weary smiles being shared all around. “To Shoyou.”

“To Shoyou,” everyone echoed back, clinking their glasses together and taking a long drink. 

The waitress warily made her way over as they sat down, Daichi shooting her a grin and welcoming her to their ‘crazy band of misfits’. They ordered too much food for their own good, eating and chatting noisily long into the night, Tanaka and Noya trading their beers out for water after Ennoshita gave them a warning smile. That made Kageyama feel more at ease. 

He made his way home after everyone else had left, hands stuffed in his coat pockets as he chewed lazily on a stick of fruit gum.

A boy rode his bike down the street with two of his friends, and Kageyama smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Y'know for the longest time I just kept debating whether or not to put the 'Major Character Death' warning tag haha... (´・◡・｀;)


End file.
